Slightly smoky with beautiful grill marks and bursting with flavour, these Sweet and Sticky Grilled Drumsticks guarantee deliciousness. Be prepared to have everyone asking for the recipe. If you are grill-free, you can bake the drumsticks in the oven (recipe included in notes).
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1/4cuplow-sodium soy sauce
3garlic clovesgrated or finely minced
12-inch piece fresh gingergrated or finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
11 small lime, juiced
3tablespoonstoasted sesame oil can use avocado or olive oil
2 tablespoonschili sauce I like sambal omelek (can also use sriracha or 1 tsp red pepper flakes)
12chicken drumsticks
1/4cupketchup
2tbsphoneysafflower or grapeseed oil, plus more for chicken
Optional for garnish
1/2cup salted peanutsroughly chopped (or use sesame seeds)
4green onionsthinly sliced
a handful of chopped cilantro
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, ginger lime juice, oil, and chili sauce. Pour 1/2 of the marinade into a ziplock bag and add the drumsticks to the bag. Seal the bag tightly then mix the drumsticks in the bag so they are covered in marinade. Allow drumsticks to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or place in fridge for up to 24 hours.
Add the ketchup and honey to the remaining marinade in the bowl; mix and set aside (or place in fridge overnight).
If the drumsticks were refrigerated, remove from fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat grill to medium heat or about 375º F. Brush the grill grates generously with vegetable oil (do skip this step!).
Cook the drumsticks over direct medium heat, with lid closed, flipping occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Tip: Keep in mind the time will vary hugely depending on how hot your grill runs, and how close the flames are to the grates. Use your own judgment, flip them often if necessary, and move them around searching or avoiding hot spots as needed.
When the chicken is almost cooked through and is showing nice grill marks, increase the heat slightly and start brushing on the glaze. Continue applying layers of the sauce, reglazing, and turning occasionally until all sides are lightly charred, about 10-15 minutes, or until internal temperature has reached 185ºF (*see notes).
Let chicken rest for 5-10 minute. Serve garnished with chopped peanuts, scallions, cilantro, and lime wedges, if using.
Notes
*Chicken is cooked through at 165ºF. However, for really fork-tender drumsticks, it is best to cook them until they reach an internal temperature of 185ºF. Eyeballing, or using a general timeframe is doable, but an instant thermometer will guarantee great results every time.Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the drumsticks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat until warmed through, about 15 minutes.To Bake The Drumsticks
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, oil, garlic, ginger and chili sauce. Pour 1/2 of marinade into a ziplock bag and add the drumsticks to the bag. Seal the bag tightly then mix the drumsticks in the bag so they are covered in marinade. Allow drumsticks to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or place in fridge for up to 24 hours.
Add the ketchup and honey to the remaining marinade in the bowl; set aside for a few hours at room temperature or place in fridge overnight.
Place the drumsticks on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cook, turning halfway, for 15–20. Remove the tray from the oven, brush the drumsticks generously all over with the glaze and cook for another 20 minutes or until drumsticks look sticky and dark brown. Tip: If the drumsticks didn't get sticky enough, brush with another layer of glaze and place under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes—watching them closely so they don't burn!